The Green Wave has officially hit campus. From the Green Dorm project to the distribution of free CFL bulbs at the start of this year, Stanford is serious about becoming environmentally savvy. Generally, the many ways in which Stanford has slowly decreased its carbon footprint have been well received.

Upon returning from winter break, however, some students were maddened by the latest development in Stanford’s push for sustainability. The showerheads of many of the dorms on campus had been changed to a lower-flow, more environmentally-friendly version.

Though a laudable step towards cutting down on Stanford’s water use, all students interviewed from Lagunita and Wilbur about the new showerheads reiterated the same basic points: the showers are frustrating and counterproductive, the water barely comes out hard enough to rinse shampoo out or warm up a cold bather, and students often take longer showers to counteract the low-flow feature. A student in FroSoCo even went as far as to remove the new additions to the residence’s showers.

On a cold winter morning, after taking a run in sub-40 degree weather or waking after a short night of sleep, many students wonder if it is too much to want a warm and revitalizing shower.

Although much of the Stanford campus understands and is supportive of the extra measures needed to help the environment, such as recycling, using energy efficient light-bulbs, or turning off appliances during breaks, the new showerheads come as an especially jarring change. This can be attributed to their less-desirable features, but also because students did not expect, nor were they consulted, about the change.

Perhaps if the showerhead installations had been announced publicly in the weeks before winter break, portrayed as an important instrument in the battle to preserve natural resources, the reaction would have been less fierce. Students perhaps would still have been annoyed by the inconvenience, but would more fully understand the benefits the new showerheads provided the community at large.

Instead, students were surprised by dribbling water pressure upon returning to their dorm showers after break. The student body was left out in the decision-making process of a change that will affect most students every day. That neglect is reflected in one of the more controversial attempts thus far at making Stanford greener. And what is more wasteful than having to undo something you’ve already done?